October 31, 2008

October 29, 2008

Josh loves that our wood stove is so warm and powerful that it warms not only the air but the concrete floor too. On a cold night after working upstairs it is really nice to come down and relax in front of the fire. But be sure to cover your face because it is HOT.

Monday evening Josh and I started drywalling the walls in the master bedroom. I am happy to report that while I was preaching for UCM's Vespers last night Josh finished up the last of that room and has already moved on. What a wonderful feeling. The only thing left for the master bedroom will be to cut out the windows, aka where the hole in the drywall is. We figured we would wait in the hopes that it will stay just a little bit warmer inside.

The weather man said that we are experiencing the coldest October in 44 years. Oh how lucky we are, ha ha.

October 28, 2008

October 27, 2008

Josh and I have two very special dates that we remember each year. The first of course is May 13th, our wedding anniversary. But the second is October 26th. October 26th was the day five years ago that Josh and I started dating. It is a very special day and unlike our wedding day that was shared by so many it is a day that holds memories just for us.

So yesterday after church we decided to just celebrate us. After such a great day I am thinking maybe we should do this more often. So here is to 5 years and all the years to come.

This was a weekend that stretched the boundaries of my usual organized world but now that I am at the other end of the days I look back and can only smile, it was great.

Friday night we went to our friends for some pumpkin carving, Wii bowling, great food and fun. I will be sure to post pictures later this week!

Our Saturday at home changed when I found out Josh was going to have to work all day. Since we had to attend the UCM dinner in the evening I wasn't looking forward to being in town alone all day. As I started on my errands I called my friend Amy for comfort and received her spontaneous offer to come join her and my two favorite little people for the day. So away I went to the Kulps and was loved and had fun for an afternoon and nothing does more for providing joy than that. The following pictures were when Peter showed me their now grown chickens. They are waiting for eggs to start arriving any day now!

October 23, 2008

There are two inventions that I sing praises to all the time. Most of my friends are probably laughing now just because it took me so long to finally post what I talk about with such joy.

1st: Crock pot liners. Since I have found these I have been glowing. You might think that a liner is a waste and a mess for the environment and usually I would agree but when you don't have running water these are the best. I love that even though I only do dishes twice a week I could cook in my crock pot every day because of these liners. They are great, you should try them out sometime.

2nd: The crock pot. I know you are probably thinking that this should be first but oh no, my love for the liners do over take my love for the crock pot, but it is a close second. I have to say that there is nothing I love more than the days when I am at work and my crock pot is at home working away. It is a little piece of heaven to walk in the door at night and smell a warm dinner, it makes me feel like I have had a maid at home cooking all day, even if she didn't clean the rest of the house. With my restricted diet is is harder to cook dinner but I have found if I plan ahead I don't have this problem and the crock pot is always there to help. Tonight it is Chicken Tortilla Soup.

What do you make in your crock pot? I am always looking for a new dinner to try and would love to hear.

And those of you who are surprised I didn't mention my other favorite kitchen tool, I promise I will give it a post all of its own in the near future. It is so great it deserves as much.

So the great news is that besides just a few small pieces of drywall needed for the edge of the closet, our study is done. While working with Josh on the sitting area I cleaned up the rest of the study and vacuumed up the piles of drywall dust. Since the study will be one of the last rooms mudded and taped we decided that by drywalling it first we will be able to move tools and supplies in out of the way as we work on the rest of the house. Like our bathroom set. I told Josh as we moved it into the study that this is its second to last resting place. The next time it is moved it will be installed into a finished bathroom.

The past two days we have been working on the sitting area. Since it is over the stairs it is a little more challenging to hang the drywall.

What we started with, pieces needed for the ceiling and nothing on the walls.

Josh set up bracing with 2X4's between the stairs and a ladder so we could use the benches to get as high as we needed. Yet as we progressed and needed to move the ladder we found things to be more challenging. Yet we kept working, me with my feet on the ground. Josh in the more tricky areas. And as we worked We finished most of the area over the stairs.

October 21, 2008

I love to knit. I knit most days and enjoy taking a project with me wherever I go so that I can always be productive. I don't often get to post anything on the blog about my knitting since a lot of times the projects are gifts. Yet recently a friend was in search of a new scarf and since she knows what she is getting, she picked out the yarn, I thought I would share my latest project.

October 20, 2008

This past weekend was full of lots of activities and of course hanging drywall was one of them. The house is starting to look better all of the time. Plus we are starting to have more room to move around as the piles of drywall are moving off of the floor and onto the walls.

Insulating the interior walls for sound barrier

Rotozipping out an electrical box So much of upstairs is turning white